


Take A Break

by darkPlaces_slowPaces



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Chan brings everyone together, Chan is just a hard working boy, College, I'm not sure what is happening, M/M, he overworks himself, who can't say no
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-18 04:47:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14205384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkPlaces_slowPaces/pseuds/darkPlaces_slowPaces
Summary: The fic where Chan overworks himself with too many activities and ends up hurting the people in his life. Because how can someone have time for everything when there are only 24 hours in a day.------Today had been a busy day like usual: his last class had ended at 4:30, basketball practice till 6:30, debate club till 7:30, and work at 8 till 12.-------He probably should have said no, but Chan had problems with saying ‘no’.“I would love to.” Chan said, leaving a small kiss on Minho’s lips. Minho grabbed Chan’s hand and they started walking towards Minho’s apartment, holding hands like it was from some shitty romance film.





	1. the start of the downfall

Chan’s sneakers hit the pavement,  
thud  
thud.  
8:01 PM  
“Shit.” He mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. He was late again, the second time just this week. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called the only person he knew who could save his ass from getting yelled at again. 

“Hey Seungmin, can you clock me in. I’m running late again, I’ll be there soon.”  
“Sure.” Seungmin said flatly.  
“Thanks. I owe you.” Chan said and hung up. His sneakers still hitting the pavement, he was exhausted. 

Today had been a busy day like usual: his last class had ended at 4:30, basketball practice till 6:30, debate club till 7:30, and work at 8 till 12. 

Finally he saw the golden arches of the sign come into view, and then the smell of the grease hit him. McDonald’s. He didn’t love working there, but it was money, and he needed money. The debt of college was starting to build up and the only way to fix that was with money. 

Once Chan had arrived to work, the first hour and a half went quick because their had been a rush of people. 

Now it was dead, only two small groups of people were eating. He had just started to doze off when a familiar red haired boy had appeared in front of him.

“Where have you been? I was looking for you since I got here.” Chan questioned. 

“I was cleaning the bathrooms and the freezer. Your boy is hoping for a raise, so I am trying to show extra effort when the manager is around.” Seungmin said, with a child-like grin on his face.  
“Oh, would you look at the time, 10:00 PM. Time for me to get going. I have a shit ton of work to do: a three page essay and I don’t even have the thesis statement done yet.” Seungmin said with a small laugh.  
“Good luck.” Chan said, flashing Seungmin a thumbs up.  
The red haired boy grabbed his bag and left.

The next two hours were going to be boring. Seungmin was the only person that Chan liked working with. The other workers were all stuck up.  
********  
The clock finally hit 12 AM, after what felt like an eternity to Chan. He clocked out of work and grabbed his jacket. It was midnight in the middle of winter, and he had to walk back to his dorm.  
He pushed open the door and the coldness hit his face. God, he hated the cold. He may have lived in Korea for years now, but he still never got used to the cold.  
He started walking and put his earbuds in, looking around the quiet streets. He thought that their was some beauty to the emptiness. Chan was in his own head, when a snowball had hit him in the back. Initially he felt fearful, but when he turned around he saw a boy about his height, but smaller in frame. Minho. 

“Hey asshole, why were you ignoring me?” Minho said as he walked closer to Chan .  
“I didn’t hear you.” Chan smiled, he hadn’t realized how much he had missed Minho. “Were you stalking me or something?”  
“No, I went to your dorm and Woojin said you worked till midnight. I thought I would come and surprise you.” Minho pulled Chan into a hug.  
The warmth made Chan feel at ease. Minho’s scent was a mix between woody and flowery, it made Chan feel less tired. Their hug lasted a while in silence, just acknowledging each others presence.  
“You can come back to my apartment and I can tell you about my trip to Japan if you want?” Minho asked, practically pleading.  
How was Chan supposed to say no to his boyfriend who he hadn’t seen for two weeks. Especially when he looked at him lovingly, the streetlights casting a glow on him. Goddammit, Chan was tired and he had to get up at 6 AM. That was less than six hours away.  
He probably should have said no. Chan had problems with saying ‘no’. 

“I would love to.” Chan said, leaving a small kiss on Minho’s lips. Minho grabbed Chan’s hand and they started walking towards Minho’s apartment, holding hands like it was from some shitty romance film. 

Once they had reached Minho’s apartment they had made some hot chocolate, the heat of it making them both feel more awake. They sat on Minho’s couch and talked and laughed for almost two hours. Not worrying about waking anyone up, since Minho lived alone.  
Mostly Minho talked and Chan laughed. Minho talked about the dumb things he and his friends did, the dance competition they had competed in(and lost), how they almost got arrested, all the food they ate. He also mentioned how much he had missed Chan. He sat on Chan’s lap and wrapped his arms and legs around him, like a baby koala hugging its mother. He rested his head on Chan’s shoulder, his breath hot against Chan’s neck. Shortly after Minho fell asleep and Chan carried him to his bedroom. Placing Minho in his bed and under the covers, Chan decided to spend the night as it was almost 3 AM. Chan crawled into bed beside Minho and fell asleep almost instantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. I haven't written anything that I ever actually published, but you know what fuck it. :)  
> Have a Great Day!!


	2. helping others before helping himself

6:00 AM  
Chan woke up to the sound of his phone alarm going off. The way the sun shone through the window made Minho’s skin glow. Chan quietly tried to get out of bed, when Minho grabbed his arm.  
“Where are you going? No good morning kiss for your amazing boyfriend?” Minho asked, he pouted his lip out like a sad child.  
Chan crawled on top of Minho and gave him multiple, quick kisses.  
“Go back to bed, you don’t have classes till 8:30.” Chan said sounding like a concerned grandparent.  
“I love you.” Minho said as he closed his eyes to go back to bed.  
“Love you more.” Chan whispered. 

Chan often wondered how he was so lucky to have the sweetest boy be his. All because last year that boy came to McDonald’s late at night with his friends.  
Was it fate that they met? What if Chan hadn’t worked that night? What if Chan hadn’t been at the counter when that boy came into the store? What if that boy and his friends went to a different shitty fast food place for a late night meal? Too many ‘what ifs’, it scared Chan to think about them. He had only been dating Minho for about 10 months but he loved him, more than he was willing to admit out loud. 

On the walk to his dorm, Chan looked around noticing the town coming alive, a sharp contrast to the the quietness of last night.  
Chan entered his dorm quietly, trying to not wake his roommate, Woojin. Chan and Woojin had been roommates since freshman year of college. It’s crazy to think it is now senior year and they are still roommates. They are more than roommates, they are best friends. The type of friends that lookout for each other and protect each other. Freshman year was the hardest, most confusing year, so becoming friends then made a bond that has only grown stronger. Chan grabbed his clean clothes and left for a shower. 

Chan hadn’t even been awake for an hour, yet he was already tired. The steam form his shower made him feel slightly more fresh. When Chan got out of the shower, he checked his phone and saw he had three texts and a missed call from none other than Felix. 

 

From Felix:  
Hey I could use your help tonight.  
I have a test tomorrow, I’m super stressed. 

Please help a friend out. :)  
I’m basically begging you. 

I’m literally quaking. 

To Felix:  
Sure. I work tonight though  
so you will have to study at McDonald’s. 

Felix was a freshman who came from Australia. Chan met him because Felix and Minho were both in the same major for dancing. Chan felt bad for Felix as he was struggling to adjust to life in Korea, so he kind of adopted him under his wing.  
When Felix was struggling in certain classes, he would come to Chan for help. 

Chan went back to his dorm, grabbed a banana for breakfast, and started sprinting across the campus to not be late for his first class.

12:00 PM  
Chan’s morning classes were over. He only had one more class today. Thank god, he was going to take a nap today. Only getting three hours of sleep last night made him extremely tired. Normally he got around 4 and a half hours of sleep. Chan skipped lunch and took a nap. 

He woke up and left for his last class of the day. He was slightly hungry, but he didn’t have time to eat anything. He had hit the snooze button a few times too many. 

After class Chan had basketball practice. Freshman year Chan had tried out for the team not knowing if he was good enough. He had been on the team all four years of college, but he wasn’t the best player.  
Chan was friends with the whole team, but his favorite person from the team was the shy freshman named Hyunjin. When Chan first met Hyunjin, he was shocked by how handsome he was. At first, Hyunjin was quiet. Now that they had know each other for half a year, Hyunjin had warmed up to Chan. 

“Chan, you took Sociology right?” Hyunjin had ran up to Chan with his book in his hand.  
“Yeah, why?” Chan asked, knowing that Hyunjin was probably going to ask for help again. Chan liked helping people, so it never upset him.  
“I know the year is half over, but these theories are pissing me off. I don’t give a shit that a symbolic interactionist and a functionalist look at the same problems with a different perspective. I really don’t give a shit about the criticisms of these theories.” Hyunjin was visibly upset. It made Chan feel bad for him. “I feel lost.”  
“If you want help I can help you tonight. Come by McDonald’s, I’ll already be helping someone else, so you can come too if you would like.” Chan said, hoping it would make Hyunjin fell better.  
“Thank you, thank you. You are a life saver.” Hyunjin said. “Text me when and I’ll be there.”  
Hyunjin patted Chan on the back and left to go start warming up. 

Basketball practice was over before Chan knew it. He took a quick shower, and found himself running for about the eight time that day. He had a debate club meeting tonight, and he was almost late. 

He found himself walking in late, the meeting had already started. Luckily, it was just the nutcase, vice president that was making jokes. His name was Jisung. Chan was quite fond of Jisung. His smile was bright and he had this presence that was very sweet.  
“Wow, Bang Chan! Walking in late to a very, very important meeting. I can’t believe you.” Jisung said, the sarcasm was clear. His smile was big and bright.  
“No, but seriously we have the debate competition next week. I just wanted to let everyone know that we picked the teams.” Jisung practically shouted while he clapped for dramatic affect. 

The meeting only lasted twenty minutes. They discussed the teams and what they would wear. Chan was on a team with Jisung, which meant that they would be spending the next two weeks working as a team and not against each other, like they normally were. Chan was looking forward to spending more time with Jisung. 

7:30 PM  
There was a little over an hour till Chan had to go to work. He was going to go home and study, when he got a text from Minho. 

From Minho:  
If you aren’t busy can you come to the dance studio. I want to show you something.

To Minho:  
Your’e lucky I’m free. Be there soon. 

Chan loved watching Minho dance. Minho’s face lit up when he danced and he gained this new level of confidence. 

Chan pushed the door open to the dance studio. Minho looked extremely handsome today. He was wearing black ripped jeans, a tight white shirt tucked in, and he had eyeliner on. When he saw that Chan had entered, he stopped dancing. 

“Take a seat, Mr.Bang.” Minho said with a devious smile across his face. He pointed to the lone folding chair that sat in the middle of the room. 

Chan did as he was told. Minho started the song over and got into starting position. Chan was shocked with the dance that Minho did. It was not his usual dancing. It was sexier, it felt angry. When the song was finished it started to replay, but Minho didn’t stop it. Minho just walked over to Chan and straddled his lap. Minho ran his fingers through Chan’s hair, giving it a slight tug. Then he started a trail of small kisses down Chan’s neck. He pulled Chan’s shirt off in one quick motion, and kept the trail of kisses going down Chan’s chest. He got off Chan and went over to the stereo. 

Chan was supposed to be studying, but how do you resist your boyfriend when you missed him both emotionally and physically. Minho was even going to the effort of putting some kind of show on for Chan. Chan couldn’t deny his excitement. God, he had missed Minho. 

Minho had returned to Chan after switching the song, this time he stood right in front of Chan.  
“I want you to touch me, Mr. Bang.” Minho said confidently. 

Before Chan even had time to fully process it, Minho was giving him a lap dance. Eventually, the lap dance lead to Minho giving Chan a blowjob. It was quick and sloppy, because Chan had to leave and get to work.  
Chan felt like shit because he left Minho in the studio alone when he would much rather walk him home and cuddle with him. They said quick goodbyes and Chan left.

9:30 PM  
Felix walked in the door of McDonald’s, books in hand. He looked to see if Chan was by the register but he only saw a red haired boy, he thought he looked about 19, the same age as him.  
“Hey, are you Felix?” The boy asked.  
“Ah, yeah.” Felix said, confused as to how this boy knew who he was.  
“Okay, I’ll get Chan for you.” The boy walked away. 

A couple seconds later Chan came walking out from the back with two drinks in his hand.  
“Here, this should help you focus. It’s a special concoction I made just for you.” Chan handed the drink over to Felix. When another boy walked in. This boy also had books, except this boy looked more stressed. This boy was Hyunjin, and he looked like he could cry any second.  
“Chan, I failed the test I had today and I feel like a fucking idiot.” Hyunjin said. He lowered his head, like a kid who was going to get yelled at. 

Chan knew what it was like to have expectations for yourself that you couldn’t meet. He always aimed high with his grades, but lately they have been slipping. All he cares about now is passing his classes. Chan had been at the top of his class in high school, but now he just stopped putting in the effort. He was to busy to get A's and too tired to get B's. 

“Hey, it’s okay.” Chan said. It hurt him to see the kid who was usually smiling, look so sad. “Just keep studying and if you ever need help, feel free to ask me again.” Chan handed the other drink in his hand to Hyunjin and gave him a reassuring smile. 

Chan led Felix and Hyunjin to a table, that was empty. Even though, almost all the tables were empty as there were not many customers right now. They all sat down and Chan helped both of them. 

Seungmin walked over to their table and was shocked to see a familiar face.  
“Hey,” Seungmin pointed to Hyunjin, “your the kid who is in my sociology class who always looks like he is going to have a mental break down.” 

“I’m Hyunjin, and yes, I often feel like I could have a mental break down.” Hyunjin said. 

“Nice to properly meet you, I’m Seungmin.” Seungmin sat down and asked how Felix and Hyunjin had meet Chan. 

“I dance with Chan’s boyfriend, so I always saw Chan hanging around the dance studio. One day I got introduced to him and we instantly had some strange Australian connection.” Felix said with a laugh. 

“We play basketball together.” Hyunjin said, his hands flipping through the pages of his textbook. 

“Nice, I obviously met Chan working here, at this high class restaurant.” Seugmin said, getting up quickly and walking away because some customers had just walked in. 

“He is nice, but distracting.” Hyunjin said. “It’s time to get some actual studying done now.”

About two hours later, Hyunjin and Felix left. Chan only had thirty minutes left of work, then he had to go home and write a paper that was due tomorrow. 

2:00 AM  
Chan had fallen asleep at his desk, his paper was only half way done. Sleep was too tempting, and Chan had trouble resisting it. He would probably regret it in when he realized he still has half a paper to write.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to note that the writing style is messy and flows quickly from each topic because it is supposed to show how Chan's days are very busy and unorganized. Thank you sooo much for reading!! uwu (Also Banginho has been on the rise lately and I am living for it.)


	3. journey to the lowest place on earth

8:00 AM  
“Chan, I’m worried about you.” Woojin said, taking a seat on Chan’s bed.  
Chan was typing furiously, and he didn’t stop.  
“Why are you worried about me?” Chan said, his words were laced with anger.  
“I saw you last night, you fell asleep doing your homework. You never get enough sleep, you don’t eat enough. You don’t make time to hang out with you friends like a college student should. You need to take a break, you can’t keep living like this.” Woojin didn’t want to hurt Chan’s feelings, but he knew that Chan needed a wake up call. 

“I think I know what I can and can’t do. I’m doing fine, okay. I don’t need a babysitter.” Chan said, still typing.  
“Okay, but when you realize it is getting to be too much, remember who told you first.” Woojin said. He got up and left.  
———  
Chan skipped his first class so that he could finish his paper. 

He finished his paper right before class. It was rushed and not his best work, but it was done. In class he was assigned a group project with Changbin, they had to make an entire song due by Monday. It was Friday. That gave them the weekend to do it. Chan had never composed a song with a partner before, so he was a little worried. Who was Changbin? Was Changbin picky? Was Changbin a rapper or a singer? Was Changbin nice?

Chan was shocked to learn that Changbin was SpearB. Everyone at Chan’s college knew who SpearB was, his rapping abilities were amazing. His music was talked about a lot these past two months. Nobody ever mentioned that SpearB went to his college though. Maybe nobody knew? 

“Why don’t you tell people that you are SpearB?” Chan asked, the curiosity had got to him.  
“Why would I want everyone to treat me like I am special. Here I am just a student, not some semi-famous rapper.” Changbin said.  
“Okay, but when they hear this song they will find out that you are SpearB.” Chan said. He did not want to burst Changbin’s bubble, but the reality was that Changbin couldn’t hide being “semi-famous” anymore.  
“I know, I guess it was time anyways right?” Changbin said. 

He seemed to not care, but Chan figured he was just hiding it. You wouldn’t go to the effort to live a double life (life like Hannah Montana) if you didn’t care. 

Chan had many songs that would be good for this project, but he was suddenly more nervous. He never put any of his songs online, and his first song that would be heard by the public was going to be heard a lot of people. There was no denying that a song featuring SpearB would get attention. Especially when people found out that they went to school with SpearB, they would all want to listen to it. Chan had to pick a song that would fit Changbin’s style, but he also wanted it to be something that was his style too. 

Chan also had to write the lyrics to his part when they had picked what song they would use. Chan could make songs very quickly, but he was slower with lyrics. Lyrics had to tell something, but they also had to sound good in the song. Changbin and Chan also had to decide on a similar topic for lyrics so that it sounded like one song, not two songs put together. It had to have some kind of link, so it could sound cohesive. Chan was in for a long weekend. 

After discussing the song situation with Changbin they decided that they would work on the song tomorrow. Chan didn’t work, so they would spend most of the day working on it. 

2:00 PM  
To Minho:  
Can I spend the night tonight? 

From Minho:  
Of course. I can never say no to you. 

To Minho:  
Woojin was being an ass this morning.  
I want to avoid him.

From Minho:  
What did he do? 

To Minho:  
I’ll tell you later, have class now. 

5:00 PM  
Basketball practice was exhausting, like usual. Chan’s head was filled with too many things. He had a song to write in a short amount of time, he was angry at his best friend, and he had to worry about keeping his grades up. 

Every shot he made, he missed. He was worse than normal. 

“Hey Chan, are you okay?” Hyunjin asked.  
“Yeah, I just can’t focus. Too much going on right now.”  
“As long as you can focus next week. We have a game with some strong competition next Thursday.” Hyunjin said.  
“I’ll be better by then. Just have to get through these next few days.” Chan said. 

Would he really be better next week? Chan doubted it, this year was going to be the busiest. He would finish college in less than five months, he would have to find a new living situation, and a real stable job. McDonald’s wasn’t going to be stable forever. 

6:30 PM  
Debate club was also hectic. The president of the club had quit unexpectedly, so now Jisung was the new president. 

Jisung was running around like an animal. He wasn’t sure that he could handle it. Being vice president was easy, you got a nice title but didn’t have to do anything. Being the president meant you had to do everything, organize the events, pick members, schedule the meetings and practices. 

Chan felt bad for Jisung. The vice president never actually expects to become the president, so Jisung was not prepared. 

“Jisung, it’s okay. If you ever need help, I can help you.” Chan said. He was being his usual self, too kind. If Chan was a little less kind, he would have a lot less to do.  
“You know what, we need a new vice president. Bang Chan, you are the new vice president.” Jisung said. “Don’t worry, I am not going to quit. Everyone can leave, I am too stressed. Practices for the competition start next week.” 

Since there was no practice, Chan went home and quickly packed a bag for his stay at Minho’s. Luckily, Woojin was not home so he didn’t have to see him. He packed his clothes for work, his laptop, pajamas, and clothes for tomorrow.  
11:30 PM  
Chan had never seen someone so angry over a burger before. An old man had came to McDonald’s to complain about the fact that his burger was not fresh. Since Chan was older than Seugmin he decided that he should deal with this man. 

This man was mad because it was the second time the had gotten a cold burger in a week. Chan was shocked by two things. First, who goes to McDonald’s that often in one week. The food is mediocre at best. Second, when you come to the store close to midnight expecting a warm batch of fries and a burger you must be a fucking dumbass. 

After arguing with this man for about fifteen minutes, this man took his drink and spilled it on Chan before walking out the door. The soda was sticky, and Chan was pissed. He was pissed, but too drained to care. He tried his best to clean himself, but he still felt sticky. 

2:00 AM  
Work was finally over. Chan got a taxi to Minho’s tonight, he was not in the mood to walk. 

Chan let himself into Minho’s apartment since he had a spare key. He didn’t think that Minho was still awake, so he was surprised to see the glow of the TV playing. Minho had fallen asleep on the couch while watching his favorite drama. 

Chan turned the TV off and headed towards the bathroom to take a shower. He was still sticky from the soda that had been spilled on him. 

Chan cried in the shower. He wasn’t sure why. Was it because his best friend was right, he was working too hard? Or was it because he had a bad day at work? Or the pressure of writing a song in two days? He thought it was probably a combination of everything. 

Just as Chan had turned the water off, he heard a small knock at the door.

“Come in.” Chan said as he dried his body off with a towel and put his clothes on.  
“How was your day?” Minho asked. He looked small and tired.  
“One of the worst days in a long time.” Chan said, he could feel the tears coming up again. 

Minho gave Chan a hug. Chan wasn’t sure how long it lasted, but it was the best he had felt all day. 

“You can tell me about it in the morning. Let’s go to bed.” Minho said, taking Chan’s hand and leading him to his bedroom. 

They didn’t say anything for a long time. They just cuddled. Minho was usually the little spoon, but today Chan was the little spoon. Minho’s left hand was playing with Chan’s hair, and his right hand was resting on Chan’s chest. 

Chan laid his hand on top of Minho’s right hand. He took his thumb and rubbed small circles in the palm of Minho’s hand. 

After a while Minho wiped Chan’s tears and whispered, “I love you. I’ll always be here for you.” 

It made Chan feel safe knowing he always had someone there for him. Even when he felt this low, he still had Minho by his side.

Chan fell asleep first, but Minho didn’t let go of Chan. He just laid there, holding Chan. 

Minho always worried about Chan. Was Chan getting enough sleep, was he eating, was he happy? But seeing Chan cry hurt Minho. Nobody likes to see the person they love in pain. Chan’s pain maybe wasn’t physical, but he was hurting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. :) Don't overwork yourselves or get too stressed. 
> 
> (I struggle to come up with chapter titles, so I will be using things inspired from songs from now on. I'll be leaving a link incase anyone is in need of some new song suggestions. )  
> \-- Alec Benjamin- Journey To The Lowest Place On Earth- https://youtu.be/PWay3BotWhk


	4. just give me one bad night

8:30 AM  
It was Saturday, Minho woke up earlier than Chan so that he could make him breakfast. Who knows when Chan last had a proper meal. 

The sound of music playing woke Chan up. He stumbled out of bed and went to the kitchen. He saw Minho making breakfast, he just stood in the doorway and watched Minho. Anything that Minho did captured Chan’s attention. The way he cracked the eggs, the way he swayed to the music, it was all captivating. 

“Good Morning.” Chan said walking over to Minho.  
“Shit, you scared me.” Minho said. “Sit down, breakfast is almost ready.”

Minho brought Chan a plate. The smell made Chan realize how hungry he was. He hadn’t eaten much lately, most days it was a quick breakfast, a quick lunch, and no dinner. 

“Can I ask why you were mad at Woojin?” Minho asked, taking a seat at the table.  
“I was just being dramatic yesterday. What he said was true. He told me that I should take a break and that I couldn’t keep living like I was. I was upset because it felt like he was treating me like a baby. Now that I had time to think about what he said, I know he was right. He was just looking out for me, he was being a friend. I feel bad because I was kind of rude to him.” 

“Let’s go out tonight. Me, you, Woojin, and whoever else you want to invite. That should lighten the mood a little bit.” Minho said, grabbing Chan’s hand. 

Chan didn’t really want to go out. He had to write that song with Changbin, but again Chan couldn’t say no. Minho looked so happy and the idea of them all going out was nice. If only he wasn’t so busy. 

“Sure, I could use a drink and some time with my friends.” Chan said. The more he thought about it, the more he realized going out would be fun.  
———  
When Chan arrived at his dorm Woojin wasn’t there, so he texted Woojin about their plan. 

To Woojin:  
Sorry about yesterday. I was tired.  
Let’s go out tonight? 

From Woojin:  
Yes. I could use a drink.  
I’ll be coming home around 6.

Chan also invited Seungmin and Hyunjin and Minho invited Felix. 

1:00 PM  
Changbin was coming over to Chan’s. Chan was nervous. All he could think about was that Changbin wouldn’t like the songs he had made. Chan had been making music since he was in high school, his friends always told him his songs were good. Having someone he didn’t know listen to his songs scared him. 

Chan didn’t like getting criticized. He was the type of person that took harsh comments too literally. Once Chan had taken an art class, and someone told him he wasn’t good. The next day he didn’t show up, he never showed up to the class again. All because of one negative comment. 

His hand’s were cold and clammy. There was a knock at the door and it was Changbin. 

The first three hours of working on the song went smoothly. They agreed on which track was the best for the project. They even had lyrics for half the song written. 

Chan was surprised by the chemistry that they had. It was little effort for them to come up with ideas for the song. Changbin complimented his songs and his rapping and singing abilities. Chan hoped that they would stay friends after this project, maybe even make more music together. 

4:00 PM  
Changbin was in the middle of rapping when someone knocked on the door. 

Chan was surprised to see Jisung standing outside the door. 

“Hey, I’m sorry to bother you as it seems you are busy. I just had to drop off some papers.” Jisung said. He handed a stack of papers to Chan, they were about debate club information. 

“Ah, it’s fine.” Chan said. 

“Sorry to ask, but was that kid sitting there the one rapping?” Jisung pointed to Changbin, who had his back to the door. “I heard it from the hallway before I knocked on the door.”

“Yeah, his name is Changbin. He is in one of my classes. We have to make a song together for class.” 

“You make music too?” Jisung asked, he sounded shocked. 

“Yeah, my minor is in music production.” Chan said. “You can come in if you want.”

“That’s awesome. I love writing lyrics, but I struggled with composing.” Jisung said. His face showed that he was excited. 

After the three of them all had introductions, they played the song for Jisung. 

“Shit, that was good. You both have your own style, but it blends nicely. You sound just like SpearB. ” Jisung said to Changbin. 

Changbin looked at Chan and smiled before he said, “I am SpearB.” 

Jisung didn’t believe Changbin, until Changbin showed him his twitter with a little over 200,000 followers. 

“You really are SpearB!” Jisung shouted. “Fuck, I love your music.” Jisung just kept talking about how he loved Changbin’s music sooo much. 

“You met your first fanboy, Changbin. How does it feel?” Chan joked.  
“It feels nice. What’s you twitter, Jisung? I’ll follow you.” Changbin asked.  
“But you only follow like ten people. You can’t just follow a nobody like me.” Jisung said.  
“I can do whatever I want, and I want to follow you.” Changbin said. 

About five minutes later Jisung and Chan’s phones started going off. Notification after notification. 

The reason was a tweet from SpearB:  
new things coming soon @cb97 @j.one_jisung 

“What are you doing?” Chan asked.  
“Opps, I guess the three of us have to make a song together so my fans aren’t disappointed.” Changbin said. A wide grin had spread on his face. 

“Oh my god. I’m gonna be sick.” Jisung said. “My followers literally doubled and it just keeps growing.” 

“I should get going, I’ll finish my lyrics tonight.” Changbin said. He gathered his things and left. 

Chan and Jisung were left in shock.  
“Is he insane or something? He doesn’t even know me, and he said he wants me to be apart of his song.” Jisung asked. 

“Honestly, I don’t know. I barely know him, either.” Chan said. 

“I guess we will see what happens. I should get going too.” Jisung said.  
————  
Chan was finally left alone to think. He always wanted to make music, so why was it such a crazy thought that he would be making a song with Changbin and Jisung. 

Suddenly his phone started ringing: Incoming call from Seungmin.  
“Dude, what just happened? Why did SpearB tweet about you?” Seungmin was taking, his voice filled with excitement.  
“You’ll have to wait and see.” Chan said.  
“Fuck you, but I still love you.” Seugmin said with a laugh. 

7:30 PM  
Everyone met at the restaurant, so they could all eat together before going out. Everyone was talking about the situation with SpearB, they were all wondering how Chan got involved with him. 

“I can’t tell you guys what SpearB was talking about because I don’t know. We were just sitting in a room and he tweeted it without even asking.” Chan said. 

Chan was getting a little angry, but he tried to stay calm. Minho could tell that Chan was getting angry, so he took his hand and laid it on Chan’s thigh under the table. They made eye contact and gave each other a quick smile. Minho decided they should talk about something else, so he switched the topic. 

“Felix, tell everyone about the news?” Minho said, giving Felix a nudge on his shoulder. 

“We get to go on another trip for a dance competition at the end of the school year.” Felix said. 

“Guess where it’s at?” Minho said. 

“Thailand?” asked Woojin. 

“No, somewhere warm.” Felix said. 

“Australia!” Seungmin shouted. 

“Small Islands.”Minho said. He figured without a hit it would take them all day to figure it out. 

“Hawaii?” Hyunjin asked. 

“Yeah.” Felix said. “The beautiful islands of Hawaii.” 

The rest of dinner went good. Nobody got too angry, and all six of them were getting along. It made Chan happy to be hanging out with his friends, the people he loved. It made him even more happy that they all seemed to be getting along. 

After dinner they went to a club. The music was too loud and the room was too dark, but the booze was great. Chan went thru his bottles a little too quickly, getting refill after refill. Feeling better after every bottle. He didn’t drink very often, but when he did he wanted it to be worth it. 

Woojin had ordered shots for everyone. It was a toast for blossoming friendships. 

“May we all look out for each other and care for each other. Let’s keep being friends.” Woojin said, he threw his head back and drank the shot. 

Chan was the type of person that liked to sit and talk at the clubs, but he was dating a dancer so he usually got dragged to the dance floor. Chan was a decent dancer though, so he did enjoy it. 

Chan saw Hyunjin and Seugmin dancing together, but he was too buzzed to notice that they were dancing a little to close together for just friends. He didn’t notice that Seungmin’s hands were on Hyunjin’s hips and he didn’t notice when they had a quick kiss. 

Woojin and Felix were at the bar talking and getting more drinks. Minho grabbed Chan’s hand and pulled him onto the dance floor. A song that Chan liked started playing, which made him get into it. Chan danced with rhythm and precision. Minho walked up behind Chan and put his hands on Chan’s waist. Chan turned around and gave Minho a hard kiss before running off the dance floor. 

He went back to the bar to order another drink. At this point Chan was definitely drunk. He ran into Woojin and Felix. He grabbed onto Woojin’s shoulders and looked him into the eyes. 

“I really love you, thank you for looking out for me. But you can be an ass sometimes.” Chan said, his words were slightly slurred.  
He then grabbed Felix by the shoulders.  
“I’ll always be here for you, Felix. If you ever need anything ask me, okay.” Chan said. He got his drink and then sprinted back to the dance floor to Minho. 

1:30 AM  
They decided they had been at the club long enough, so they left. They ordered fried chicken and went to a park by the river. They all talked and laughed. All of them felt their worries and stress slip away. Even if it was just for tonight, they felt good; Chan hadn’t felt that way in a long time. After they finished the chicken they all went their separate ways, promising to go out together again. Chan spent the night at Minho’s again, but not because he was mad at Woojin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chan didn't get rest yet, but he did have some fun finally. :) Thank you so much for the kudos and comments, it helps keep me motivated to keep writing. 
> 
> \--Hayley Kiyoko - One Bad Night--https://youtu.be/L_wXWFnTjxU


	5. I don’t want to make you disappointed

9:00 AM  
Chan woke up late, his head pounding. Of course he was going to have a hangover the day he was supposed to meet with Jeongin. 

Jeongin was a high school senior, who had the dream of becoming a singer. Jeongin’s family was poor, so instead of getting a professional to help him with his vocals, he had Chan. Chan wasn’t the best teacher, but he cared for Jeongin. Chan had been helping Jeongin with his vocals for the past two years. Once a week they would meet, and they hadn’t missed a week in those two years. 

Chan met Jeongin because Jeongin was singing on the street one day. No one was paying attention to him, so Chan walked up to him. He sat and listened to Jeongin, and after that they talked. Jeongin told Chan that he was 16 and that he wished to be a singer. He told Chan that his family couldn’t pay for vocal lessons, so he felt that he was wasting his potential. 

Chan told Jeongin that he didn’t need lessons to become a singer, all he needed was dedication, hard work, and someone that could give him pointers on how to improve. Chan was lucky enough to get vocal lessons when he was younger, so he knew how to help Jeongin improve. 

Chan had seen Jeongin grow up from a young boy, to an adult. He also heard his voice mature and improve greatly. The way Jeongin looked up to Chan made him feel like he had to set a good example. Jeongin was like a little brother to Chan. They always supported each other and encouraged each other to keep working hard.

Chan had fully woken up and he noticed that Minho was gone, so he got up and left too. When he arrived at his dorm, he saw Jeongin sitting outside the door looking down at his phone.

“Hey Jeongin. I’m sorry I’m late.” Chan said. He was looking for his key when he realized he didn’t bring it with him. 

“That’s okay. Your here now, that is all that matters.” Jeongin looked up to Chan and smiled before getting off the floor. 

Woojin wasn’t home, so they couldn’t get into Chan’s dorm. Chan didn’t know where to go, so he called Felix. Felix said that they could come to his dorm, his roommate was gone, so he was alone. 

When they arrived at Felix’s dorm, Chan introduced Felix and Jeongin to each other. Then Chan and Jeongin started go over the songs that Jeongin had practiced that week. Jeongin sang with passion and dedication. After he finished singing, Chan told him the things he did wrong and how to improve. Jeongin sang the songs again, but this time was better than the last time. They repeated that cycle of singing different songs and critiquing for a couple of hours. 

Then it was lunch time. Chan took Jeongin out to eat, since Jeongin came from about two hours away. He would always take the bus to see Chan, so Chan liked to treat him sometimes. 

“How was your week?” Chan asked Jeongin. Chan was playing with the zipper of his jacket to keep himself more awake. 

“Long.” Jeongin said with a sigh. “I can’t believe I graduate high school soon. I’m scared, but I can’t tell my parents that. I don’t know if I want to go to law school.” 

Chan sympathized withe Jeongin. When Chan was choosing what to do in college, his parents didn’t like the idea of there son moving across the ocean to pursue a career in music. In the end his parents accepted it, but it took a lot of reassurance. 

Jeongin’s parents insisted that he become a lawyer. He was smart and slightly interested in law, but it wasn’t where his heart was at. His heart lied with music. He was only 18 years old and he felt like he was drowning in law book after law book. He swore that he could hear the judge’s gavel hitting the sound block in his dreams. 

Objection, objection, objection! Was he ever going to put up an objection on the path of his future?

“You shouldn’t let other people choose what you do with your life.” Chan said. 

“I know, but it’s too late to change now.” Jeongin said. He put his hands up to cover his face. He started making small sniffling sounds. 

Chan saw Jeongin’s tears fall off his face and land on the table. Chan handed Jeongin a napkin to wipe his tears away. 

“If you go to college and truly hate it, you can switch majors. It is totally fine to do that, I know a lot of people that did.” Chan said, he was trying to comfort Jeongin. 

“I don’t want to disappoint them.” Jeongin was still crying, but his breathing was coming back to normal. 

“I understand, but isn’t your happiness worth their disapproval.” Chan said, his words were laced with warmth and affection. 

Jeongin knew his happiness was important, but he was an only child and his parents put a lot of pressure on him. They loved him and only wanted the best for him, but they pushed him into going to law school. 

They ate lunch and then Chan waited with Jeongin at the bus station. They didn’t talk much, but their presence was enough. Before Jeongin got on the bus, Chan gave him a hug and gave him some words of encouragement. 

“Sometimes you just have to say ‘fuck it’ and jump, you have two feet so you will land. I can’t guarantee you won’t be hurt, but you will be happier.” 

2:00 PM 

Changbin was coming over to finalize the song. They had did it. They made a song in three days, but it wasn’t just any song, Chan thought that it was one of the best songs he had ever made. 

Three days ago Chan lacked the confidence to release a song, but today he felt that he was ready and could handle whatever people had to say about it. Whether they like it or hated it, Chan was ready to hear what people thought of it. Hanging out with someone who had an audience of fans that anticipated any song that was released made Chan want to have fans of his own. 

The supportive messages that Changbin’s fans left on the tweet that mentioned Chan and Jisung made Chan feel confident and motivated. He had started making a couple songs because of that motivation, and he thought that they all had a lot of potential. 

“Should this line here end earlier or does it sound good?” Changbin asked. 

“I think the overlapping sounds good. We should leave it.” Chan said. 

Chan would go through periods of time when he struggled to make music, but right now he was the most productive he had been since high school. His head was racing with ideas of what beats would sound good together. 

It was like meeting Changbin had breathed a new life into him. It had brought the passion he had once had for music back to him. Chan had been so busy the past couple of months that he lost the drive, but now it was back stronger than before. Chan was like a Pokemon that had evolved. 

“Honestly, I think that it is good the way it is.” Chan said referring to the song. Changbin nodded his head in agreement. 

“Will you be free Wednesday night to discuss about making another song, but his time for SpearB and not just class?” Changbin asked. 

Chan knew that he was busy, he was busy every night. He also needed to discuss with Changbin. If they made a song together and people liked it, Chan’s future could be affected. 

“Yeah, I have time Wednesday.” Chan said. It was a lie, but he figured he could skip basketball practice. He could say he had an appointment or something, the coach would understand. 

7:30 PM  
Chan slipped his work pants and shirt on and tucked his hair under his cap. When he saw his reflection in the mirror he barely recognized himself. He had lost quite a lot of weight and his hair had grown out. His gray hair had faded and his brown roots were long. He thought that he should get it re-dyed soon. 

He grabbed his phone and jacket and left. On his walk to work he couldn’t keep his mind still. It felt like it was running in a never ending circle. Chan’s major in college was business and his minor was in music composition. He loved the idea of being able to be his own boss and have his own business, but music was more important to him; especially now that he was young. When he was older maybe he would use his business degree and open his own business. Maybe?

The bitterness of the air had left, bringing in a warmth that Chan had missed. Seeing the sun made him happier instantly. 

A couple hours into Chan’s shift at McDonald’s Hyunjin walked in. He had a big smile on his face. Chan hadn’t expected to see him. Chan greeted Hyunjin, and Hyunjin said that he had came to see Seungmin. When Seungmin and Hyunjin were talking Chan thought that they looked smitten with each other. The way they looked into each others eyes and both looked happy. Chan was shocked when they kissed each other. 

“I didn’t know you liked boys.” Chan said to Hyunjin.

Hyunjin let out a small chuckle. “I think everyone is worthy of love, why would I limit myself to just girls.” Hyunjin said. 

Once Hyunjin had left, Chan wanted the details from Seungmin. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were seeing Hyunjin?” Chan asked. 

“Because it happened very quickly, and I didn’t know if Hyunjin would be comfortable with people knowing. He has never been with a guy before.” Seugmin said. 

“Well, it is about time you had your first college boyfriend. Now we can go on double dates.” Chan said. He was half kidding and half serious. He always wanted to go on a double date with one of his friends. 

1:00 AM

After work Chan texted Jeongin to see how he was doing. Chan knew he was probably in bed and wouldn’t respond, but he still sent him a message anyways. Chan had never seen him cry like that before, so it made him worry. 

To: Jeongin  
Hope your feeling better.  
If you ever have any problems  
I am here for you. I love you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I appreciate ya!
> 
> \--NF- Let You Down--https://youtu.be/0501BTnbrxg


	6. i hope some day i'll make it out of here

6:30 PM  
It was Thursday, Chan had a basketball game tonight. 

The beginning of the week went by too quick. Monday they turned in the song they made, Tuesday everyone found out Changbin was SpearB, Wednesday Chan skipped basketball practice and discussed the future with Changbin. 

Chan thought that this game was probably the last game of basketball. If they lost then it was the last game, but if they won then they had more games. 

Chan had a bittersweet feeling. This could be his last game of basketball ever. If it was the last game he was sad because he would miss everyone and miss playing with them. But he would also have more free time, about two hours every night of free time. 

All the players were sitting in the locker room when the coach walked in and gave a speech. He told everyone that he was proud of the season they had and he knew that everyone worked really hard. He also told the seniors that they could give a speech if they wanted, as this was probably their last game. Hearing all his classmates talk about how they would miss everyone made Chan feel sentimental. He was really graduating soon. He would be leaving all this behind and entering the adult world. 

Chan’s speech was next.  
“First I want to thank all my fellow seniors. I remember freshman year when all of us had a lot of improving to do. Having you guys by my side for the past four years was an amazing experience. Let’s all go on and do awesome things outside of college. To the rest of you that have more years to keep playing, lead the team well next year.” Chan felt the strange urge to cry, he was really going to miss everyone. He made eye contact with Hyunjin and finished his speech. “Keep working hard, college goes by quickly. Let’s go out there tonight and have fun.” 

The whole team gathered in a circle and did their team chant for the last time. That is when Chan cried, it was just a couple of tears. He wiped them quickly before the team walked out onto the gym. He looked out into the crowd and saw all the people he knew; people from his classes, his teachers, his acquaintances, and all his friends. He saw Minho, Woojin, Felix, and Seungmin (who had even asked off of work to come). They each held a sign that when put together read, ‘Senior Bang Chan #58’, Chan waved both his arms and gave them a smile. He was a little embarrassed, but he loved them. He put his hands over his head and made a big heart in their direction. 

He also saw that Jisung and Changbin were sitting together with a group of Jisung’s friends. A bunch of girls were sitting around them, he figured it was because of Changbin. 

 

Then the game started. The score was even for a while, but the opposing team took a giant lead in the second half of the game; a lead that couldn’t be made up. They were definitely going to loose, but Chan still had a lot of fun and tried his hardest. Chan scored a three pointer right before the game ended, but they still lost. When he heard the buzzer go off indicating that the game was over, the team gathered in a circle. The seniors were in the center, and they had a group hug. When the group hug split up, Hyunjin gave Chan a hug. 

“Thank you for looking out for me this past year. I look up to you a lot because I know how hard you work, but you are still so positive and kind. You welcomed me into your friend group and I’m very grateful.” Hyunjin said. He had a couple of tears falling from his face, which made Chan cry again. They were still hugging. 

“We will still remain friends, don’t worry. I’m just graduating, not dying. I promise I will come see you play next year, I will have to see how much you improved. ” Chan said patting Hyunjin on his back before they broke their hug. Chan really cared about Hyunjin, it was nice to have a talk like that. 

Just as they had broken their hug, they were pushed into another group hug. This time it was with Minho, Woojin, Felix, and Seugmin. This hug was much shorter. 

They all said their words to Chan, congratulating him on his last game. They congratulated Hyunjin too. 

“You did really good tonight, babe.” Minho said. He gave Chan a hug and a kiss.”You're another step closer to graduation.” 

Chan saw Jisung and Changbin walking towards them. He looked over and saw Seungmin low-key freaking out, holding tight onto Hyunjin’s hand. Seungmin was a fan of SpearB and he was walking right towards them. 

“You did great out there.” Jisung said. He gave Chan a hug and introduced himself to the others. Changbin did the same thing, giving a small bow.

After everyone had introduced themselves to Jisung and Changbin, Jisung had the idea that everyone should go out for supper together. 

They went to a barbecue place. Chan felt safe, it was hard for him to understand why. He thought that it was because all his old friends had met his new friends; they were all like one big family eating together. Since Chan’s real family was far away, they were all he had. 

Chan had gotten up to use the restroom and Minho had taken the chance to talk to Changbin. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you. Chan hasn’t stopped talking about you for the past couple of weeks.” Minho said. “I just wanted to say thanks to you. Chan hasn’t been so excited about something in a long time. He is really looking forward to making music with you.”

“I’m also looking forward to it.” Changbin said. He smiled at Minho. 

Minho had seen pictures of Changbin and he thought that Changbin looked mean and rude; but sitting across from Changbin made Minho realize that Changbin was just a kid. He was much nicer in person. 

The rest of the meal went good; everyone made small talk and joked around. Chan told Hyunjin and Seungmin that they would be going on a double date soon. He even made them promise to go on the date before they left.  
———  
Chan walked Minho home, holding hands. They both had been so busy lately that they hadn’t seen each other much. 

“You look so skinny, Chan. You promise me you are eating?” Minho asked. 

Chan knew that he hadn’t been eating much lately. He ran on liquids more than actual food. Energy drinks had become his best friend.

“I promise I eat, just not enough.” Chan said. He looked at Minho and laughed. Minho didn’t think that it was very funny. Minho always worried about Chan, that was just the type of person that he was. Chan hated making other people worry about him, so it made him feel bad. 

Chan didn’t want to go home to a cold bed, so he stayed with Minho. When he walked into Minho’s apartment the scent of flowers washed over him. He saw that Minho had a big bouquet of flowers on his coffee table. 

“Who are these from?” Chan asked. He walked over to the flowers and looked at them. Chan wasn’t the type of person that liked flowers, but they did look pretty. Chan picked up the piece of paper that said who it was from and Minho grabbed it from his hand. 

“My dance teacher.” Minho said. 

“Your 29 year old dance teacher gave you flowers. For what?” Chan asked. He tried not getting jealous, but he couldn’t help it. Minho’s dance teacher was an attractive young man, even Chan thought so. 

“He gave them to everyone that is going to the competition this summer, don’t worry. If I was fucking my teacher I would have you join us, I always thought a threesome would be fun.” Minho said with a laugh. He liked it when Chan got protective. 

Chan playfully pushed Minho against the wall.  
One hand on the back of Minho’s neck and the other hand on the waistband of Minho’s jeans. Chan pushed Minho harder as he got more turned on.  
“I love you.” Chan said, before they made their way to Minho’s bedroom.  
——  
Chan was the type of person that liked to talk after sex; Minho liked that.

“Do you think it will be harder for us next year since I won’t be in college anymore; I might not live just a couple of blocks away?” Chan asked. His hand rested on Minho’s chest; he could fell the rise and fall with each breath Minho took. 

“‘I think we will be okay. I was thinking that if you wanted to move in with me you could. Or we could both move somewhere new together.” Minho said. “It would be convenient and cheaper, plus you spend a lot of nights with me anyways.” Minho looked at Chan with a hopeful expression. 

Chan liked the idea of moving in with Minho. No matter how busy they were, they would always come home to each other. 

They spent the next thirty minutes talking about whatever came to mind. 

Chan’s phone rang and it filled him with fear. Who would be calling him this late at night on a Thursday? 

Yang Jeongin. 

“Hello?” Chan said, he was even more worried know that he knew who it was.  
“Hey, I’m in Seoul right now and I need a place to stay.” Jeongin said. His voice was shaking.  
“I’m not at my dorm, but you can come to my boyfriends. I’ll text you the address.” Chan said.  
“Thanks.” Jeongin said before he hung up. 

 

“What’s wrong?” Minho asked. He could tell that Chan was worried.  
“It was Jeongin. He said he needs a place to stay.” Chan said.  
Minho had met Jeongin before, he was a sweet kid who was always very friendly to him. 

It took Jeongin thirty minutes to get to Minho’s. When he arrived he looked like a mess. He was still wearing his school uniform and he had a baseball cap on. 

Chan and Minho sat with Jeongin on the couch as Jeongin explained what happened. 

Jeongin told his parents that he didn’t want to go to law school. They yelled at him and told him that music wouldn’t take him anywhere. Jeongin was the type of person that got hurt easily, so his parents words hurt him. He got on a bus and came to Seoul to see Chan; the only person that fully supported his singing. 

Chan and Minho stayed up late talking with Jeongin and comforting him. They reminded him that this was his life and not his parents. Jeongin spent the night on the couch and left early in the morning to go home.Talking to Chan had made him realize he had to face his parents, he couldn't hide from them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully next chapter is more spicy/dramatic. Much love.   
> Billie Eilish (feat. Khalid)-- lovely-- https://youtu.be/wjj2upnfBI0


End file.
